The Nokia X range has actually certainly set tongues wagging, boasting an Android OS in location of that now-familiar Windows Phone we’ve actually ended up being familiar with.
The Nokia X, Nokia X+ and and Nokia XL all got to Mobile World Congress 2014, with the previous being available in at simply EUR89 (around ₤ 73 /$100) and the latter improving screen size to 5 inches for EUR20 euros more.
Which, naturally, leaves the uncomfortable middle kid – priced smack bang in the middle of its 2 brothers and offering a little more RAM and the smaller sized screen size.
The presumption is that this array is focuseded on establishing nations – you will not see both the X and the X+ due to the fact that, frankly, the distinction is so small it took Nokia a great five minutes to identify a Plus for us to obtain our hands on.
So let us start with centrepiece of this hunk of vibrant plastic: the modified Android operating system and its brilliant and breezy tiles.
This is, as you’ll certainly no doubt have actually discovered, quite reminiscent of Nokia’s Windows Phone providing – but that’s no bad thing, bringing the patina of Android respectability and an air of Nokia’s owner Microsoft to boot.
There are problems with the strategy, obviously, with the Nokia Android Shop extremely limited and the choice for local apps establishments – which Nokia has actually sealed lots of partnerships across the globe – aren’t quite as polished as the normal Google-fied Play experience.
But the experience is mainly a pleasant one – more solid feeling than the interesting Firefox OS and certainly intense and happy in the way you’d expect a Nokia phone to feel.
That cheeriness is helped by a surprisingly good 4-inch WVGA screen – deep blacks, dynamic color and multi-touch which felt receptive and instant.
It’s even more of a babushka than a supermodel in appearances and size – chunky and strong looking with the rounded corners not actually reducing the sensation that you’re holding a huge Lego brick.
But that really solidity brings a sense of robustness, and the plastic surface is pleasing in the hand – as long as you are prepared for the ungainly size.
The phone also boasts a dual-sim function that’s definitely a huge bonus for a phone that’s aiming to conquer the developing nations.
The dual-core processor is, well, all right. It stuttered a little when we truly pushed it – however for everyday usage it coped very well with only the occasional delay in proceedings.
When installed against some of its low expense peers, the X+ is a shining example that deal need to not always suggest an awful experience.
Ten additional Euros on the price buys you 768MB of RAM – an additional 3rd on the X’s 512MB and we ‘d recommend that in establishing nations there could well be the feeling that the included expense is unworthy the performance distinction.
Early verdict
In isolation, the X+ is a completely palatable hunk of plastic boasting a surprisingly nice screen a completely acceptable performance level for the cost point – and an intriguing Android experience.
It’s not best, performance isn’t the speediest and the non-Google app experience isn’t a perfect option, but despite its bulk it’s not an undesirable gadget to hold or utilize, particularly at its low cost.
And that implies that the X-range has the prospective to be a huge deal for Nokia in the markets it’s targeting.